


lady of the lake

by Spikedluv



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Community: picfor1000, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 02:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9945806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: Derek tries to save a woman from drowning.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Derek-centric, Derek pov. Written for [picfor1000 on LJ](http://picfor1000.livejournal.com/) for [this photo](https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexandershark/32572331296/). I know AO3 likes to add words, but according to WP, exactly 1,000 words.
> 
> Written: February 26, 2017

Derek had left Stiles sleeping at the B&B, and so he was alone at the water’s edge when he saw her – a woman with long dark hair wearing a thigh-length coat that looked too heavy for the warm temperature. This early in the day they were the only two on the beach. She didn’t appear to have noticed him as she walked purposefully towards the water. He glanced back at the cliffside, wondering where she’d come from. When he turned back she’d stepped into the water, still fully clothed, and just kept going. Derek watched for a moment before he realized that she might be planning to harm herself.

Derek called out to the woman, but she didn’t react as if she’d heard him. He started running, but even with enhanced speed she’d still gotten a good distance out into the water before he reached the spot she’d gone in. Derek splashed into the water, and then started swimming. She went under, and Derek strained to reach her. He dove when he reached the spot he’d last seen her, staying down until he needed to come up for air, and then diving again, but there was no sign of her.

Derek didn’t know how long he’d been out there when he realized that Stiles was calling his name from the beach. Derek didn’t want to stop the search, but he was losing strength. He swam slowly back to the beach and told Stiles what he’d seen.

Stiles looked out over the water, where any sign of the woman had disappeared. “Oh my god,” he said. “She killed herself right in front of you?”

Derek shrugged. That had to be what happened, because she hadn’t been going out for a swim, not the way she was dressed.

“Where did she come from?” Stiles said, looking up and down the beach.

Derek retraced his own steps to where he’d entered the water, but no matter how far they searched up and down the beach, there was no trace of her footprints in the sand. They returned to their B&B so they could call the local police and report the woman’s disappearance.

“We need to call the police!” Stiles told Carrie, their hostess. “Derek just saw a woman drown.”

Carrie took in Derek’s wet clothes and an expression of _something_ crossed over her face before she smiled and said, “Oh, that was just Ginny.”

“Ginny?” Derek said.

“Our local ghost. Our very own Lady of the Lake, so to speak,” Carrie said. “It’s always a bit disconcerting to meet her, so why don’t you go on up and get into some dry clothes while I make you both a nice breakfast?”

“Thank you,” Stiles said. He took Derek’s hand and led him to the stairs. Once they were in their room, Stiles said, “Did you see the look on her face?”

Derek let out a relieved sigh; it hadn’t been his imagination.

Stiles powered on his laptop while Derek showered and changed into clean, dry clothes. While he was dressing, Stiles told Derek what he’d found.

Ginny was believed to have been a local woman who walked into the ocean to drown herself because it was the only way out of an abusive relationship. It’s said that she reappears when she’s lonely and feels a kindred soul, someone who might be willing to join her and keep her company. Several people, both men and woman, have drowned in this spot over the years, and many of the deaths are attributed to Ginny.

“Do you think the woman you saw was Ginny?” Stiles said when he’d finished the story.

“It could have been,” Derek said. “She was fully dressed, and when I called to her she didn’t answer, she didn’t even look at me.”

Derek caught Stiles’ worried expression. “I don’t want to die, Stiles,” Derek said, but his words didn’t sound as reassuring as he’d meant them to be.

“I know,” Stiles said. “It’s just . . . you’ve lost a lot.”

“I still have you,” Derek said. “Even if I didn’t love you, I’d need to stick around to keep you out of trouble.”

“Hardy har har,” Stiles said, but he stood and wrapped his arms around Derek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles’ lips, and then another one. “Do you think Carrie will notice if we don’t come down for breakfast right away?”

Stiles’ answer was another kiss, and a nudge towards the bed. If Carrie did notice their tardiness, she was tactful enough to not mention it.

The next morning Derek was up early again. He pushed aside any lingering uneasiness over what he’d seen the morning before and returned to the beach. He ran along the water where the sand was harder packed. After twenty minutes he turned back, walking part of the way to cool down. When he reached the beach beneath their B&B, Derek stopped and looked out over the water.

Just as he was turning to head back inside, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Derek turned his head and the woman, who hadn’t been there just a moment ago, had reappeared. She looked the same as she had yesterday, long dark hair, thigh-length coat, and she walked with that same purposeful, steady gait. Derek didn’t call out to her, didn’t attempt to stop her, and halfway to the spot where Derek had seen her go under, the woman turned her head and looked right at Derek. She held out her hand to him, and a chill ran down Derek’s spine.

Derek didn’t move, and a moment later she was gone. He couldn’t remember if the water had swallowed her up, or if she’d just disappeared. Eventually, the warmth of the rising sun chased away the cold, and Derek turned away from the water. Stiles was walking across the sand to Derek, and he smiled when Derek saw him. Derek took one step towards Stiles, and then another.


End file.
